It’s been years since Suzy Swanson first captured our hearts. If you’ve spent any time in the middle-grade fiction world, you know Ali Benjamin’s The Thing About Jellyfish isn't just a book about science. It’s a gut-wrenching, beautifully messy look at grief, friendship, and the desperate need for logic in a world that often makes zero sense. Naturally, the moment the book hit the bestseller lists, the "The Thing About Jellyfish" movie talk started. Fans wanted to see Suzy’s journey from the quiet halls of her school to the depths of the ocean on the big screen.
But where is it?
Honestly, the road from "optioned for film" to "sitting in a theater with popcorn" is notoriously rocky. For this specific project, the journey has involved some massive names in Hollywood, a few shift-changes in production, and a lot of quiet waiting. It’s not just another YA adaptation; it’s a project that carries the weight of a National Book Award finalist.
The Long Journey of the The Thing About Jellyfish Movie
Hollywood moves fast until it doesn't. Back in 2015, almost immediately after the book's release, MWM Studios (formerly OddLot Entertainment) snagged the rights. They didn't just want to make a quick buck; they brought in Reese Witherspoon and Bruna Papandrea through their Pacific Standard banner. You might know them from high-quality adaptations like Wild and Gone Girl.
Things got even more interesting when Gigi Pritzker got involved. The goal was clear: capture Suzy’s internal monologue without making it feel like a cheesy voiceover.
Then came the big news in 2019.
Universal Pictures officially stepped up to distribute. But the real kicker was the casting and directing rumors. At one point, Wanuri Kahiu, the visionary director behind the Kenyan film Rafiki, was set to helm the project. This was a huge deal. Kahiu has a specific "Afrobubblegum" style—vibrant, joyful, and deeply human—which felt like a fascinating counterpoint to Suzy's muted, grieving world. Millie Bobby Brown, fresh off the massive success of Stranger Things, was attached to play Suzy Swanson.
Imagine that.
The most famous teen actress in the world playing a girl who refuses to speak because she’s convinced a jellyfish sting killed her best friend. It felt like a guaranteed hit. But then, as it often does in the film industry, the trail went a bit cold.
Why the Delay?
Development hell is a real place. It’s not necessarily a sign that a movie is bad; often, it just means the "creative alchemy" isn't quite right yet. With the "The Thing About Jellyfish" movie, you have to consider the complexity of the source material.
The book is structured around the stages of a scientific experiment.
- Purpose
- Hypothesis
- Background Research
- Variables
- Procedure
- Observation
- Data
- Conclusion
Translating that rigid, scientific structure into a fluid cinematic narrative is a nightmare for a screenwriter. If you stick too close to the book, the movie feels like a lecture. If you stray too far, you lose the essence of Suzy’s character. She isn't just a "sad kid." She’s a girl using science as a shield against a reality she can’t accept: that sometimes, people die for no reason at all.
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Then, of course, there was the global shift in the film industry around 2020 and 2021. Productions everywhere stalled. High-concept dramas about grieving children became harder to greenlight than massive superhero sequels.
The Casting of Suzy Swanson
If the project moves forward with the previously announced talent, Millie Bobby Brown is the pivot point. Playing Suzy is a massive departure from Eleven. Eleven is powerful, supernatural, and eventually quite vocal. Suzy is the opposite. She is a girl who chooses silence.
It’s a role that requires intense physical acting.
Think about it. How do you convey the guilt of a "final conversation" that went horribly wrong without saying a word? You need an actor who can command the screen through expression alone. Brown has shown she can do that, but as the years pass, the "window" for her to play a middle-schooler has effectively closed. If the movie enters active production now, we might be looking at a total recast.
That’s a tough pill for some fans to swallow.
But it also opens doors. There are so many incredible young actors today who could bring a fresh, perhaps more understated energy to the role.
What the Story Demands
To do justice to a "The Thing About Jellyfish" movie, the production design has to be impeccable. We aren't just talking about a suburban school. We’re talking about the Irukandji jellyfish.
These tiny, transparent terrors are the catalysts for Suzy’s obsession.
The visual effects team would need to make the underwater world look both terrifying and ethereal. In the book, Suzy’s imagination is a vivid place. She sees the world through a lens of bioluminescence and stinging cells. A director like Wanuri Kahiu would likely lean into the "magical realism" aspect of this.
Why We Still Need This Film
We live in an era of "big" movies. Explosions, multiverses, and high-stakes heists dominate the box office. But The Thing About Jellyfish is a small story with huge emotions. It deals with "Franny Jackson," the best friend who drifted away and then died before things could be made right.
That is a universal experience.
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Maybe not the jellyfish part, specifically.
But the "drifting away" part? Every adult remembers that first friendship breakup. It hurts more than a romantic one sometimes. Suzy’s refusal to accept that Franny was "just a girl who drowned" is a profound exploration of how we use logic to cope with trauma.
A film version would give parents and kids a way to talk about these things. It’s a "gateway" story. It leads to conversations about:
- Grief and its non-linear path.
- The beauty of the natural world.
- The fact that it’s okay to be "weird" or "different."
- The reality that some questions don't have scientific answers.
Realism vs. Fiction: The Science of the Sting
One thing the movie will have to navigate carefully is the actual science. In the book, Suzy becomes convinced that an Irukandji jellyfish killed Franny. These jellyfish are real. They are tiny—about the size of a fingernail—and their sting causes "Irukandji syndrome."
It’s horrifying.
Symptoms include severe muscle aches, vomiting, and a "feeling of impending doom."
However, in reality, Irukandji are mostly found in Australian waters. Franny died in Maryland. The book addresses this—Suzy researches how jellyfish might be migrating due to climate change. This is a real ecological concern. The "The Thing About Jellyfish" movie has the potential to be a stealthy environmental film, highlighting how human impact on the oceans is changing the distribution of dangerous species.
If the movie producers get the science right, they could partner with organizations like the Monterey Bay Aquarium or the Smithsonian. It adds a layer of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) to the project that most YA movies lack.
The Script and the Soundtrack
Rumor has it that the script has gone through several iterations. The challenge is the "Mrs. Turton" character. She’s the science teacher who encourages Suzy. In a movie, this character needs to be more than just a plot device; she needs to be the anchor.
And then there's the sound.
Imagine a soundtrack that mimics the pulsing of a jellyfish. Deep, thrumming bass. Ethereal, shimmering synths. If the sound design is done correctly, the audience should feel like they are underwater with Suzy. Silence is a character in this story. The "The Thing About Jellyfish" movie needs to be comfortable with that silence.
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Current Status: Where Do We Stand?
As of now, the project is still in "development." In Hollywood-speak, that means the rights are owned, people are attached, but the cameras aren't rolling.
Is it canceled? No.
Is it happening tomorrow? Also no.
The most likely scenario is a "re-imagining" of the initial plan. With the rise of high-quality streaming limited series on platforms like Apple TV+ or HBO, some wonder if The Thing About Jellyfish might actually work better as a 4-part event than a 2-hour movie.
It would give the story room to breathe.
We could spend more time on the "flashbacks" of Franny and Suzy’s friendship before it soured. We could really see the slow disintegration of their bond, which makes the ending so much more impactful.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Readers
If you’re waiting for the "The Thing About Jellyfish" movie, don’t just sit around. There are ways to engage with the story and the science right now.
- Read the "Talk to the Author" sections: Ali Benjamin has done several interviews about the inspiration for the book. She actually started writing a non-fiction book about jellyfish before she realized it needed to be a story about a girl.
- Explore Jellyfish Science: Check out the Jellywatch program. It’s a citizen science project where people record sightings of jellyfish and other marine life. It’s exactly the kind of thing Suzy Swanson would love.
- Re-read with a Cinematic Eye: Go back to the book and think about how you would film the "airport scene." It’s one of the most tense moments in the book. How would you show Suzy’s internal panic without any dialogue?
- Support the Creators: Follow the production companies like MWM Studios and Hello Sunshine on social media. Studios look at "social listening" data. If there is a massive surge in people asking about the "The Thing About Jellyfish" movie, it signals to executives that there is a market for it.
The wait for a beloved book's film adaptation is always a test of patience. Whether it ends up on Netflix, in a theater, or as a limited series, the core of the story remains. It’s about a girl, a sting, and the realization that the world is much bigger, much scarier, and much more beautiful than we ever imagined.
Keep an eye on the trades like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. Usually, when these projects "wake up," the news drops fast. For now, we have the book, our imagination, and the actual jellyfish pulsing in the deep blue.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Connection to the Story:
To truly appreciate the nuances of the upcoming adaptation, your best move is to dive into the latest marine biology reports regarding Irukandji migration. Understanding the real-world science that Suzy obsesses over makes her character's journey significantly more grounded. Additionally, monitoring Hello Sunshine’s production slate for the upcoming fiscal year will provide the most accurate timeline for when filming might finally commence. Stay informed by checking official casting calls in major hubs like Atlanta or London, as a shift in the lead role will be the first definitive sign the project is moving into active production.